September 2013 Readers’ Rides

Frank the TankVehicle: 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 Owner: Mike Gibson, Richardson, TX Tires & Wheels: 285/75R16 BFGoodrich All-Terrains on factory 16x8 Toyota rims Suspension: Old Man Emu coils, shocks, and steering stabilizer Drivetrain: Factory automatic transmission, fulltime transfer case, and solid axles Performance Mods: Factory 4.5L I-6 Other Doodads: ARB front bumper, Rocky Road sliders, Iron Pig Off Road rear tire carrier, Gamiviti roof rack, Mombasa Gen1 rooftop tent, Optima battery, DDM Tuning HID headlights, Hella 4000 lights with HID conversion Funniest Wheeling Incident: I was going to pick up dinner and decided I’d cut through a flat grassy field when I accidently ended up in a mud pit. I was completely sunk up to the frame and had to be pulled out. I learned to always be ready for the unexpected, always have a strap with you and look where you are going. Does everything work the way you want?: Yes, it is my daily driver Anything you would change?: Adding dual batteries and a few more electronics Anything to add?: The photos were taken in the Four Corners area by Mike Gibson Photo

Float Like A ButterflyVehicle: 1976 Ford Bronco Sport Owner: Dave Langham, Lee’s Summit, MO Tires & Wheels: 37x13.5x15 Pit Bull Rockers on Suspension: 31⁄2-inch Tom’s Bronco Parts suspension with 2-inch body lift Drivetrain: C4 automatic, Dana 20 transfer case, Dana 44 front axle with RCV axleshafts, shaved Ford 9-inch rear with Yukon 31-spline axleshafts, 4.88 gears Performance Mods: 302ci V-8 out of an Explorer with Chevy throttle body fuel injection Other Doodads: Custom bumpers, Ramsey winch, cage, BC Broncos rear corners guards Funniest Wheeling Incident: I was waiting for the vehicle in front of me on a trail at Superlift Off Road Park in Hot Springs, Ark., when I learned the hard way that I was next to a hornets’ nest. I was swatting like crazy and got a nice welt under one eye. Folks thought I had gone crazy when I jumped out of my Bronco.Does everything work the way you want?: For now Anything you would change?: Add a doubler or Atlas for lower crawl ratio

Anything to add?DirtrangoVehicle: ’98 Dodge Durango Owner: Rob Green, Dickinson, TX Tires & Wheels: 31x10.5R15 BFGoodrich All-Terrains on stock rims Suspension: Rancho RSX shocks and Firestone Air Ride helper springs Drivetrain: Stock with factory rear locker Performance Mods: 318ci V-8 with K&N intake Other Doodads: Bug shield Funniest Wheeling Incident: Throwing mud all over my 3-year-old, who was strapped in his car seat. He didn’t think it was that funny. Does everything work the way you want?: It needs a front locker! Anything you would change?: Did I mention the front locker? Also gears and mud-terrain tires.

Submission Information
Send us a picture of your ride if you’ve never done so. We keep a surplus of Readers’ Rides submissions, but only one submission per person, and we love all off-road vehicles so send in your entries whether your rig is stock or not. Make sure each digital image is at least 1,600 by 1,200 pixels (or two megapixels) and saved as a TIFF, EPS, or maximum-quality JPEG file. Write to: Readers’ Rides, 4-Wheel & Off-Road, 831 S. Douglas St., El Segundo, CA 90245 Email to: readersrides@4wheeloffroad.com